The Great Epidemic: Divine Mercy Is the Cure

Pope John Paul II often reminded us of the loss of a sense
of sin and the need for a return to the practice of frequent confession.

The moral relativism that is causing much of this loss of a
sense of sin in our world has also been characterized by our current Pope,
Benedict XVI, as perhaps the major evil facing the Catholic Church today.

The word “epidemic” is described by Webster’s as “affecting
or tending to affect a disproportionately large number of individuals within a
population, community or region at the same time,” and “excessively prevalent.”

The word “epidemic” would seem to be the very best way to
describe the crisis in the Church today.

We know that only about 25% of Catholics attend Sunday Mass every
week. The Church teaches that it is grave matter to miss Mass on Sundays
without a good reason. If it’s done knowingly and deliberately, it’s a mortal
sin that must be confessed.

A survey done in a parish in Florida revealed that only
about 10% of regular church goers actually confess every year or whenever
conscious of serious sin as required by one of the precepts of the Church.

Are most other parishes any better?

This crisis is unprecedented in Catholic history and we need
an immediate cure.

Epidemics often leave behind many dead bodies. This epidemic
is much worse because it leaves behind a death, not of the body, but of the
soul, and it is eternal.

Yet few seem to be alarmed at the epidemic, including many
clergy who seem to be apathetic. Here again let’s look at Webster’s for the
meaning of “apathy”: “lack of enthusiasm or energy: lack of interest in
anything, or the absence of any wish to do anything” and “emotional emptiness:
inability to feel normal or passionate human feelings or to respond emotionally.”

This epidemic is worse than most, because one of its
symptoms is the lack of interest in addressing the epidemic.

All the same, we have been given the complete cure, and all
that remains is for us to put it into action and tell everyone about it.

Given the cure? Yes. Surprised? Not me.

Didn’t St. Paul tell us that where sin abounds, grace
abounds all the more?

And grace abounds a great deal on Divine Mercy Sunday.

If your parish hasn’t been celebrating it, then something is
wrong! This new feast of mercy is God’s gift to us to completely renew and
revitalize our Church. If you think that this feast of mercy is a party for
devotees, you have it all wrong.

Jesus clearly indicated that the feast of mercy is a refuge
and shelter especially for all sinners, and especially even the worst ones of
all.

Why was St. Faustina asked to promote the feast in her
apparitions of Jesus?

Why did Pope John Paul II make it such a priority?

Why has Pope Benedict XVI spoken so often about it?

Because it is a key answer to our Church’s key problem of
the loss of the sense of sin.

Why is this feast placed on the Second Sunday of Easter?

I think it must be to encourage all the Easter-only and
lukewarm Catholics back to the practice of their faith.

Just think about it. The Divine Mercy indulgence that the
Vatican has granted, with its promise for the complete forgiveness of sins and
punishment, is just the enticement these lukewarm souls need to get to them to
go to confession. We know that on Easter most churches are full to overflowing
with souls that are in danger of dying in mortal sin and they need a lot of
encouragement from the clergy.

One of the most important things we can do for them is to
tell them about the plenary indulgence. The Vatican has asked that priests get
this done “in the most suitable manner.”

What could possibly be more suitable, then, on Easter Sunday
itself when the churches are full of people who haven’t been to confession and
to church in so long?

The epidemic is sin, and, let’s face it, the cure is
confession.

The enticement is the promise of the total forgiveness of
sins and punishment.

If Divine Mercy Sunday immediately follows Easter, then why
aren’t we inviting everyone to the feast, especially all those Easter-only
Catholics while they are sitting there in the pews? What an awesome God we have
to give us exactly what we need to restore his Church. We only need to wake up.

Proclaim the Good News, tell everyone about Divine Mercy
Sunday. Let the world know. Put it in the newspapers, radio and TV. Make every
possible effort to reach everyone.

Make Jesus happy and take away some of his pain.

Jesus told St. Faustina that the loss of each soul plunges
him into mortal sadness. If we really love him, we will do everything that we
possibly can to help him save souls.

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